It really was much a one sided game. Storm goaltender Anthony Manfredi, carrying the team on his back, so to speak, made 45 saves of a 50 shot barrage handed out by the Posse. Defensive turnovers and inability to get the puck to the net in the offensive end continue to haunt a team that is desperately searching for answers.
Newcomer, Jordan Wilkens, made an impact both evenings, scoring a PP goal Friday night and then another on Saturday night against the Posse. Unfortunately, he was also a goat a couple of times, including coughing up the puck near his own blue line allowing Ben Morgan to open the scoring. Wilkens is a big kid with some good junior experience (WHL, BCHL) and hopefully he can bring his defensive leadership to the rink sooner than later as this is where the Storm is hurting most.
It's not all the D in the defensive end. There seems to be a lack of support from the forwards who seem to have a challenge transitioning the puck out of the zone. Only handful of guys want to do the spade work and help out the D. We see too many stretch passes that go astray instead of the easy short pass combo to get the offense moving. Guys are not on the half-boards where they are expected to be in order to start an effective breakout. I can't tell you how many times that the pass to the guy who is supposed to be on the boards has the puck go behind them, off the boards and on to the stick of an awaiting point man just because they can't get it through their helmets that they need to close that gap. When your butt is against the boards, the puck can't go behind you... and if you miss it, at least your nose is facing forward and the puck can be pursued. It's almost comical how often some of our forwards are spinning like tops trying to track down the puck. It looks like a figure skating session with canes.
Last but not least is the lack of discipline. Stupid penalties at crucial times are killing any momentum the team may be gathering. I don't like to single individuals out but in this case I am. Bevin Ollek, a talented and large forward just can't seem to help himself from taking stupid penalties game after game. Bevin has been the target of a few referees, being penalized inappropriately at times but when you know that this situation exists, recognize it and adjust accordingly. If he took his body and plunked it in front of the net more often, he would end up drawing more penalties than taking them. From the start of the season Bevin has played a big role in the offense but he also leads the team in penalty minutes, heavily laced with cheap shots or misconducts for not keeping his lips sealed. It appears to this viewer that the Storm offense goes as Bevin goes and it doesn't go well if he's sitting in the penalty box.
There are 2 home games left before the Xmas break, both division rivals (Sicamous and Chase) that the Storm are now chasing in the standings. Let's hope that this weeks practice sessions and coaching instruction can straighten out some of these issues that are plaguing the progress of a team who can't afford to embarrass themselves into the Keystone Cup.
Featured Sponsor:
Posts
